Category: Sports Medicine

A few years ago there was an enormous surge behind wearing compression clothing in the endurance and multisport communities. Compression clothing’s immense popularity eventually bled into other fitness niches, whether for function or fashion, as often seen with Crossfit, Football, Soccer, Swimming, and other Fitness Enthusiasts. Even as a techno-savvy triathlete, the compression clothing was something I always wondered about, and after some research, even utilized. A big question has always been whether the compression clothing provides form over function, or vice-versa. If you ever watch a triathlon, you’ll wonder whether the extent that some endurance athletes wear this is even necessary or effective. Sure, I have a pair of socks that I wear after long training sessions, or tough races, but does it really work? Some great research was published, and the answer is “yes.”

Let’s face it, at one point or another, we’ve all had to sit for extended periods of time, looking at, or working on something in front of us. Whether it was in high school math class, Intro to Athletic Training in our undergraduate program, or our desk based career in the real world! Sitting for extended periods of time, with the focus in front can cause some changes to our musculoskeletal system, which if left unchecked, will wreak havoc throughout the kinetic chain. Kyphosis in relation to the spine describes a curve that is concave anteriorly and convex posteriorly. (1) Both the thoracic and sacrococcygeal regions display this curve, but it’s in the thoracic spine we commonly see problems arise.